Caterham Technical Director Mark Smith has parted company with the team as part of a management restructure.

Smith’s job title will no longer be used. Instead John Iley, Jody Egginton and Gerry Hughes will form a ‘technical committee,’ reporting to team boss Cyril Abiteboul. All three have new job titles, with Iley going from Performance Director to Head of Performance Engineering, Egginton from Deputy Technical Director to Head of Design & Manufacturing, and Hughes from Chief Engineer, now steps up to run all trackside operations as Head of Track Operation, which encompasses his original role.

Abiteboul said: “First I would like to thank Mark for his time and dedication to the development of our team since he first joined in 2011. We and Mark part company on good terms and with our best wishes for the future. It was obviously a tough decision to see someone of Mark’s calibre go, but we have identified the need to restructure as a key aspect of increasing our on-track performance and forming a new Technical Committee composed of John, Jody and Gerry will allow us to do exactly that.

“After investing last year in our new factory, and over the winter in aerodynamic development capacity, the new structure gives three specialists we are lucky to have with us the opportunity to use their experience, passion and dedication to help us progress. We are not happy with our current performance levels and John, Jody and Gerry, with my full support and that of our shareholders, staff and partners, are the right people to help take us forward.”